The Edward Rutledge House, also known as the Carter-May House and now The Governor's House Inn, is a historic house at 117 Broad Street in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

. This 18th-century house was the home of

Founding Father The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. ...

Edward Rutledge (1749–1800), a signer of the

United States Declaration of Independence The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America, is the pronouncement and founding document adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Pennsylvania State House ...

and later

Governor of South Carolina The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the '' ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...

. Despite many changes to the house, it retains its 18th-century core dating to about 1760, and was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1971. and

Description and history

The Edward Rutledge House is located in historic Charleston, at the southwest corner of Broad and Orange Streets. It is a large Charleston double house, two stories in height, with a hip roof and clapboard siding. It is oriented as many Charleston houses are, with a two-story porch facing to the right side. The facade facing Broad Street has a gable at the center of the roof, which is fully pedimented and has modillions lining its outline. An entrance is located in the center of the main five bays, topped by a transom window and gabled pediment, and flanked by sidelight windows. The interior, which has undergone much alteration due to varied uses of the house, still retains some of its original features. The house is most notable as the home of Edward Rutledge, a signer of the

. Rutledge, a South Carolina native, was trained in England in the law, and had by the time of the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

established a law practice in Charleston. He served in the

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and

Second Continental Congress The Second Continental Congress was a late-18th-century meeting of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that united in support of the American Revolutionary War. The Congress was creating a new country it first named "United Colonies" and in 1 ...

es, and spent time during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

as a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...

, having been captured in the 1780

Siege of Charleston The siege of Charleston was a major engagement and major British victory in the American Revolutionary War, fought in the environs of Charles Town (today Charleston), the capital of South Carolina, between March 29 and May 12, 1780. The Britis ...

. He served as

from 1798 to his death in 1800. The home is now a

bed and breakfast Bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. Bed and breakfasts are often private family homes and typically have between four and eleven rooms, wit ...

. Images of the renovations can be seen on its website.

References

External links

Edward Rutledge House, Charleston County (117 Broad St., Charleston)
at South Carolina Department of Archives and History {{DEFAULTSORT:Rutledge, Edward, House National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Houses completed in 1787 National Register of Historic Places in Charleston, South Carolina Houses in Charleston, South Carolina 1787 establishments in South Carolina Historic district contributing properties in South Carolina Governor of South Carolina Homes of United States Founding Fathers

Description and history

See also

References

External links